Police on Thursday arrested three persons on the charges of siphoning off Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) funds in Kokasara block of Kalahandi district.
The arrested accused was identified as Panchayat Extension Officer (PEO) Rajmohan Sabar, Gram Rojgar Sevak (GRS) Hemant Bachha and Block Programme Coordinator Chandan Sahoo. Earlier, police on June 29 had arrested Geotagg coordinator Sanjib Das and forwarded him to court in connection with the same case.He had opened bank accounts in his father's name instead of beneficiaries and siphoned off the money. All the accused have allegedly embezzled Rs 7.80 lakh which was meant for construction of houses of the beneficiaries.
The arrests were made by the Ampani police based on a FIR filed by Koksara BDO Manisha Das. Earlier, complaints were filed by six beneficiaries Padma Naik, Jagannath Das, Dhananjay Naik, Sumati Naik, Mandar Bewa and Marua Dhangdamajhi of Badpodaguda panchayat under Koksara block in the district after they didn’t receive the money.
Police questioned the PEO, GRS and programme coordinator and after ascertaining their involvement, arrested them and forwarded the trio to court. Their bail petitions have been rejected and they have been sent to judicial custody, said Ampani police station IIC Krushna Chandra Swain.
It was also revealed that after uploading the fake photographs of under construction houses, Chandan Sahoo hade transferred the funds to different bank accounts.